Tauranga man killed in Te Poi crash

Police have named Tauranga man Grant Scott Gilmer as the man killed in a crash near Te Poi on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old died when his utility vehicle left the road and struck a power pole on State Highway 29, about 1km west of Te Poi at about 1.40am.

Tauranga man Grant Gilmer was killed when he utility vehicle hit a power pole in the Waikato.

Police are crediting a “sharp-eyed” truck driving for raising the alarm about the early morning crash.

At the time of the crash, Waikato Police District Shift Manager, acting Senior Sergeant Dale Smith said the driver of the truck and trailer unit noticed a large utility pull in behind him from a lay-by and follow him over the Kaimais.

“The vehicle then continued to tail him through Te Poi when he noticed a bright flash in his rear view mirror. Turning his truck and trailer unit around, the driver found a severely damaged utility upside down with a power pole fallen on top of it.

“To compound issues further, not only were there live power lines posing a risk, the utility had been carrying a load of beehives and the inhabitants of these hives were understandably agitated."

An off duty police officer, who is also a bee keeper, was brought in to assist with the recovery of the hives with several of the attending emergency service personnel having experienced several stings.

The fatal crash closed a section of SH29 for a couple of hours as emergency services worked to recover Grant's body and clear the scene.

Grant's death was the 20th on Waikato roads this year compared to 43 for the same period last year.